Citizen Science in Public Libraries

The Ráday Mihály Memorial Project as a Case Study

Abstract

In recent years, citizen science has gained increasing visibility in academic and cultural heritage contexts, yet its application within public libraries remains underexplored. This paper presents a public library-based case study demonstrating how citizen science can be integrated into the long-term practice of a metropolitan library network. Focusing on the Ráday Mihály Memorial Project implemented by the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library (Budapest), the study examines how civic participation, local knowledge, and scholarly research can be combined within a structured institutional framework. The project builds on the legacy of an earlier civil urban heritage initiative while introducing contemporary methodological standards, ethical safeguards, and library-based digital infrastructure. Particular attention is given to the library’s mediating role between professional researchers, volunteers, and local communities, as well as to communication practices that support transparency, participation, and institutional legitimacy. The findings suggest that citizen science in public libraries functions most effectively when embedded in existing collections, services, and infrastructures, and when the library assumes an active but non-dominant coordinating role.